Early Rider Charger 12" Kids Bike (MY24/25)

Two wheels. One goal.

And no, it's not balance. It's to encourage our kids to actively connect with the incredible world around them. A life affirming relationship for our children and our planet by simply giving children the very best tools for developing a love of exploring and making them with materials, components and craftsmanship that will see through them, their siblings and their friends.

The low slung frame with a minimum seat height of just 31cms gives them the earliest of starts. It's classic diamond construction and cold forged drop outs are for strength and will take whatever a growing child, or an older sibling, throws at it. A beautiful brushed finish that means the quality of the tubing and our welds are always there to see and scratches just add to its character. CNC'd aluminium hubs and axles run on sealed cartridge bearings keeping the bike light and friction lighter. 2" Vee Speedster tyres roll over everything with minimum fuss, providing the comfort and stability young riders need. Internal cabling for a optional rear brake upgrade with custom Ritchey riser bars designed specifically to fit mini V short reach levers. As easy as riding a bike.

The real cost of value

We use premium parts because without them, we cannot make our balance bikes to perform and last to the standards we set. We only see three reasons to use poor quality materials like mild steel, solid tyres, plastic rims and bushings. The first is that they are cheap. The second is that it's easy - easy to buy, easy to use, easy to sell. The third is that the bikes will become landfill long before they risk cannibalising future sales. This is not us. We won't ask you to buy our products but we would ask that if not ours, you buy a quality alternative, either first hand or second, that will not end up in the ground sooner rather than later.

Key features

Frame: Hand brushed AL6061, forged drop outs
Fork: Hand brushed AL6061, forged drop outs
Wheelset: 12" pneumatic, sealed cartridge bearing, V brake
Brakes: Tektro 837A: 102mm arms (Brake upgrade kit purchase)
Tyres: Vee Speedster 12 x 2.0" WB 27 TPI
Weight: 3.4 kgs

Specifications

Frame: Hand brushed AL6061, forged drop outs
Fork: Hand brushed AL6061, forged drop outs
Steerer: Tube AL6061
Wheelset: 12" pneumatic, sealed cartridge bearing, V brake
Hubs: CNC'd T6 AL6061, cartridge bearing, AL6061 axles
Seat post: AL6061, 25.4mm
Rims: 20H anodised AL6061, black
Weight: 3.4 kgs
Brakes: Tektro 837A: 102mm arms (Brake upgrade kit purchase)
Levers: Tektro JL-352RS short reach (Brake upgrade kit purchase)
Front tyre: Vee Speedster 12 x 2.0" WB 27 TPI
Rear tyre: Vee Speedster 12 x 2.0" WB 27 TPI
Headset: 1 1/8” conventional, external cup
Stem: Ritchey OS forged AL6061, 35mm reach
Bars: 440mm Ritchey OS double butted AL6061, 18mm rise
Grips: ER soft touch mushroom 100mm
Saddle: Brown rivetted faux leather
Seat clamp: ER bolt seat clamp, 28.6mm

Geometry

Wheelbase: 580mm
Head Angle: 70°
Seat Tube Length: 130mm
Chainstay Length: 233.2mm
Seat Tube Angle: 71°
Standover Height: 295mm
Top Tube Length: 221mm
Head Tube Length: 80mm
Stack: 294mm
Reach: 218mm
Fork Length: 205mm

View the user manual (PDF)

Due to safety regulations changing we are no longer able to supply dust caps as standard for bikes that are labelled as age appropriate for children under 3 years of age. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy throughout this website. However, Early Rider reserves the right to change prices and bike specifications without prior notice